5 Easy Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions

30/12/2018

Share

Only a few more days until the new year now. No doubt something a lot of you are thinking about is what resolution to make for 2019. The obvious ones are always ‘be healthier’ or ‘eat less chocolate’. They’re great resolutions, but it’s also important to think about the wider world. After all, you can make more than one resolution. 2018 has shown more than ever the need to focus on saving our environment. The truth is we can all make small and easy changes in our everyday lives that don’t take any time or effort. Here are 5 eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions that will help protect our planet.

Reusable bags

There’s no denying the 5p plastic bag charge has had a positive impact. 15 billion bags are estimated to have been removed from circulation and this should hopefully increase when the charge goes up to 10p in 2020. However, there are still people paying that 5p or more every time they go to the shops. The silly thing is that those 5ps soon add up to the price of a reusable bag! So, if you haven’t already, buy yourself some reusable bags. They don’t cost much and you can keep them in your handbag, pocket, car etc. so you always have them when you’re out shopping. There really shouldn’t be an excuse for this one.

Bamboo toothbrushes*

Bamboo toothbrushes are starting to gain more popularity, but finding them in the shops is still a struggle. However, bamboo toothbrush subscriptions exist now, so you don’t even need to go the shops to get them. The beauty of bamboo is that it is recyclable and naturally anti-bacterial, which is ideal for brushing your teeth. You can also order family-sized packs including child bamboo toothbrushes. I was kindly gifted some bamboo toothbrushes from BlueRock. This is something I’ve been interested in for a while, so I can’t wait to share more details in my upcoming review where I’ll talk more about the benefits of bamboo and the BlueRock subscriptions.

Pick up 1 piece of litter everyday

Ok, preferably we should be picking more than 1 one piece of litter a day, but let’s start with something manageable. How much litter do you walk past everyday? Whether it’s a scrunched up piece of paper on an office floor or a food wrapper on the pavement, if everybody picked up just 1 piece of litter a day, it would make such a difference.

4-minute shower challenge

The 4-minute shower challenge has been around for a while, but how many of us actually do it? Next time you have a shower, set a timer to 4 minutes and see how you get on. I’m so bad as I just want to relax when I’m in the shower, but this wastes a lot of water, and the actual washing time (shampoo, conditioner etc.) doesn’t take long.

Switch off

Again, something which is pressed upon time and time again, yet the message still is yet to sink in. How many times do you leave a light on because you’re going to back into that room? Do you ever unplug something, but leave the switch on? A simple flick of a switch takes no effort and makes a world of difference.

These 5 eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions are so easy and really make a positive impact. Let me know how you get on. You could even write a blog post to document your success and inspire others to have a go!